User:Estela Madrigal/sandbox
Categories of Disability in Federal Special Education Law
After reviewing the categories for disabilities, it is evident that these students were born with challenges and with many setbacks. Their daily frustrations and setbacks is normal for them. The community as a whole usually, has no idea of what people with disabilities endure. Students with disabilities need help in overcoming their challenges and struggles, but most of all they need compassion and respect. The following are three areas that will help student build their confidence. 1. Name first, disability second; The first thing that comes to my mind is to show them respect and avoid placing labels on them. I don’t think that anyone would want to be addressed by their weaknesses, their gender or their disabilities, the same is true for students with disabilities. The following statement was written by Disability Services: “How we write about and speak with people with disability can have a profound effect on the individual and on community attitudes. By their very nature, some words and interactions can degrade and diminish people with disability. Others perpetuate inaccurate stereotypes, entirely removing a person’s individuality and, in some cases, their dignity. Through positive and appropriate interactions with people with disability, we can help break down the barriers that they face in the community and in the physical environment. It is important to recognize people with disability for what they can do, rather than focusing on their limitations”. 2. Provide Appropriate Modification and Accommodations: Along with positive and appropriate interactions with students with disabilities, it is important it for students to receive the correct diagnosis. After reviewing all disabilities, I can see how challenging and confusing it can be for teachers to provide appropriate teaching strategies when students have various disabilities. Getting the correct disability is vital for the student, the parent and the teacher. This will ensure that the measurable goals are aligned with the student’s academic needs, and this will also ensure that the student is placed in the least restrictive environment, otherwise, an injustice will be done to the student (Understanding Special Education, 2016). 3. Empower the Student: Students with disabilities may be feeling pity for themselves. They may even view themselves as a victim. It’s important for teachers to change this. Teaching students how to study, how to learn and how to struggle is important for student to become successful. For example, studying skills is important for students to learn. They will develop skills, such as organization and structure. Graphic organizers will be able to enable them in this area. Next, students can learn new material through collaboration and cooperation. This can be done with strategies like think-pair-share, and small group activities. The last strategy to help students empower themselves is for them to take risks. They will learn to take chances and to make decisions that will not always be right, but, the logic behind this concept is that through trial and error, students will learn how to productively struggle, this will help them to deepen their understanding of the concept.
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)
The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services.Meet The IEP Team: 1. Parent 2. Child 3. Speech-Language Therapist 4. Psychologist 5. School Administrator/Principal 6. Counselor
7. Translator
8. General Education Teacher 9. Special Education Teacher 10. Advocate
Link: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/ieps/at-a-glance-whos-on-the-iep-team.[1]
IEP Assessments and Tests
1. Intelligence Test: These tests are given individually and help educators determine intelligence levels. 2. Standardized Tests of Achievement: These tests help to determine student’s present levels of achievement. 3. Individualized Achievement Test: These tests are conducted in segments. They help to determine grade equivalent levels, standardized and age equivalent scores. Furthermore, they provide information which will assist in designing an IEP and educational plan for individual students. 4. Functional Behavior Tests: Children with severe cognitive disabilities and autism need to be evaluated to identify areas of function or life skills in order to gain to provide instruction that will help them achieve functional independence. 5. Curriculum Based Assessments: Help teaches determine if the student is learning curriculum based instruction. 6. Teacher made Assessments: These tests are created by teachers to determine if specific IEP goals are being met by the student. These assessments can consist of paper tests, quizzes, observations, check-list, rubrics, or multiple choice, performance, etc. Teachers to evaluate specific IEP goals in order to measure if the student’s educational needs are being met as determined by their IEP. Link: https://www.thoughtco.com/testing-and-assessment-for-special-education-3110632.[1]
Helping Families Understand the IEP Process
Many parents aren’t aware of the IEP process and moreover, they don’t know their rights as parents of child with special needs. Teachers can help parents understand the IEP process and their role as equal members by providing information meetings prior to the IEP. During this meeting teachers can explain what an IEP is, what the components are, why it’s so important, what criteria’s will be used to measure academic growth, what specific modifications, accommodations and supports the student will receive. During this meeting, teachers can also explain to parents that their input is appreciated and welcomed. Another recommendation for helping parents learn more about the IEP process is by providing them with resources/online material where they can read and learn more about the child’s specific disability and how to provide supports at home. The last recommendation for helping parents understand the IEP process is by providing them information on community based groups, such as parents and advocates that have gone the process and are willing to communicate their experiences with others. Link: https://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/13-categories-of-special-education.html.[1]
Developing Appropriate Goals and Objectives for an IEP
The National Association of Special Education Teachers writes the following about appropriate goals and objectives in an IEP: “The term `individualized education program' or `IEP' means a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in accordance with this section and that includes: “(II) a statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, designed to-- (aa) meet the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and (bb) meet each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability Definition: Annual goals are statements that identify what knowledge, skills and/or behaviors a student is expected to be able to demonstrate within the period of time beginning with the time the IEP is implemented until the next scheduled review. Annual goals must be identified that meet the student s needs, as identified in the present levels of performance” (NASET, 2018-2019). A goal and an objective is a measureable educational statement in which a student with special needs can safely, reasonably and productively be expected to accomplish, based on his individual’s needs. Link: https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=3321.[1]
Curriculum Development and the IEP Goals and Objectives
It’s important to understand the state standards. For many states the standards is Common Core. In order to help students participate in a General Education setting and continue to meet their IEP goals and objectives, it’s important to identify which part(s) of the standard are educationally appropriate for the student. Once a teacher identifies the target area within the standard they can begin to develop a lesson that will target that specific learning goal.
Service models for Co-Teaching and Inclusion Classrooms, and the Pros and Cons.
One Teach, One Observe One Teach, One Assist
Parallel Teaching Station Teaching
Alternative Teaching Team Teaching
Challenges of Co-Teaching Lack of Respect Lack of Control
Lack of Understanding for Expertise Differences in Teaching Style
Differences in Behavioral Management Lack of Administrative Support
Not Enough Time for Co-Planning Responsibilities are not equal
Benefits of Co-Teaching
Specialized Instruction Collaboration
Admiration Professionalism
Compromise Trust
Link: https://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2013/03/25/the-benefits-of-co-teaching-for-students-with-special-needs/.[1]
Positive Behavior Supports, Differentiated Instruction, and Assistive Technology
Roles and Skill Sets of Special Education Teachers
The role of Special Education teachers has changed so much over the years. There was a time when Sped teachers taught in self-contained classrooms, then they were given resource rooms, now Sped teachers are providing instructional support within general education classrooms.
The duties for Sped teachers has also evolved. Before they were expected to be the experts in behavioral management and accommodating the needs of special needs students, now there’s additional duties that Sped teachers need to be proficient at in order to be effective teachers.“Hoover and Patton, 2008, identified five critical areas in which special educators must become highly proficient within the context of the demands of teaching in schools today: data-driven decision maker, implementer of evidence-based intervention, implementer of socioemotional/behavioral supports (i.e. manager of behavior), differentiator of instruction, and collaborator”.
Today teacher candidates will find that many graduate schools have implemented these five critical components into their teacher credential program. The reason for this is because educators are recognizing that teacher candidates need to become in proficient in order to teach all students the necessary skills so that they can succeed.
Sped teachers will also discover that there’s a big push for teachers and teacher candidates to find ways of allowing their students to approach learning through a variety of entries ways and to demonstrate their knowledge through a variety of exit points, this is what you call a differentiator of instruction, Additionally, being a differentiator of instruction includes providing instruction that is supported with technology, for example, assistive technology.
Along with being an expert in all areas of content and delivery, there’s also communication and collaboration. These areas are also being introduced to teacher candidates in credentialing programs. Currently, many school districts are also creating meeting where communication and collaboration are embedded so that parents, teachers and school personnel can have opportunities to engage in meaningful and purposeful discussions.
The role of the Special Education teacher really has evolved from its historical beginning. Today Sped teachers face numerous challenges and the expectations they face because their experts in Special Education has dramatically risen.
Link: http://corwin-connect.com/2016/04/7-essential-skills-special-educators/.[1]
Positive Learning Environment
• Allow diversity, individuality and creativity. • Treat all students with honor, respect and with kindness • Get to know your students very well • Allow students to have productive struggles. • Allow students to take risks • Allow students to approach lessons in diverse ways • Allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in unique ways • Create opportunities where students can share their culture, and interests • Celebrate your students by praising their efforts and by sharing their accomplishments Link: https://www.educationcorner.com/building-a-positive-learning-environment.html.[1]
Positive Behavior Supports
“Individual positive behavior support (PBS) is a process that combines evidence-based practices from applied behavior analysis (ABA) and other disciplines to resolve behavioral challenges and improve independence, participation, and overall quality of life of individuals living and learning in complex community environments. Its features include lifestyle enhancement, collaboration with typical caregivers, tracking progress via meaningful measures, comprehensive function-based interventions, striving for contextual fit, and ensuring buy-in and implementation” (Hieneman, 2015). Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles.[1]
Techniques for Positive Behavior Supports
Set clear routines for everything you would like students to do in your classroom. Create silent signals to remind your students to pay attention and remain on task. Proximity is another great silent intervention; by simply getting physically closer to a student you can get them on task without having to give verbal instructions. When a student is off task they are often seeking attention, so it is important for teachers to remove the stage when addressing them. Class. Also consider ways to encourage leadership and peer interaction by pairing the student up with a classmate as a helper on an academic task to encourage positive interactions and build community (NSW, 2019). ''Link: https://education.nsw.gov.au/student-wellbeing/whole-school-approach/positive-behaviour-for-learning-pbl.[1]
Evidence-based Instructional Interventions
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs •Tier 1: This is a high-quality, research based and systematic instruction. Universal Level, 80–90% of Students. This is the front line of defense. All core instruction begins here. Learners can get what they need in the traditional classroom because the curriculum is standards based, rigorous, and relevant. Ideally, this is where schools want most of their students to be at. •Tier 2: Targeted Level, 5–15% of student population. Learners are underachieving and should receive individualized support that includes standards-based curriculum and supplemental instruction along with remediation of specific skills or concepts. Individualized interventions are differentiated, scaffolded, and targeted to each student. •Tier 3: Intensive Level, 1–5% of Students. Learners are significantly underachieving and require individualized, intensive, skill-specific intervention with one-to-one or small-group instruction outside the classroom. If individuals are found eligible for special education services, tier 3 provides students with more intensive, evidence-based interventions within a range of possible special education settings. Link: www.rtinetwork.org/learn/what/whatisrti.[1]
Accommodations and Modifications for Exceptional Learners
Accommodations: • Large print books • Additional time for assignments • Re-teach skills/concepts • Use of mnemonics • Restate lessons Provide outlines • Provide preferential seating • Allow calculators/ devices, computers • Provide speech to text • Provide examples, • Provide artifacts, • Allow students to work in groups • Modifications: • Word bank of choices for answers to test questions • For math assignments allow calculators and number lines • Reworded questions in simpler language • Break down work into smaller tasks • Provide modeling • Task chain work • Allow student to work with peers • Provide multiple entries for assignments • Provide multiple exit tickets • Color code work so that students can visualize • Provide artifacts • Provide prompts
Link: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/common-classroom-accommodations-and-modifications.[1]
Assistive Technology Tools and their Purpose
Techmatix is a product of the National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI). Its purpose it to provide information to consumers/teachers/ parents/ and administrators about assistive and educational technology tools and resources to help students with disabilities. How can AT help build confidence and independence for exceptional learners? Assistive Technology (AT) is anything that can help students learn. It can be a wheel chair, a hearing device, a software app that can help student with printed text, or even eye glasses. AT makes learning possible because students have less hurdles and challenges to overcome. Without AT, learning can prove to be a barrier for many students with disabilities. When students begin to use AT devise they begin to see how much fun learning can be. They also feel more relieved and less frustrated when engaging in tasks. This helps to build confidence and independence in students because they begin to see that learning is easy, fun and relevant to them.
Examples of augmentative and alternative communication systems:
1. Single-meaning pictures (one picture=one word) 2. Alphabet-based systems (spelling and letter codes) 3. Semantic compaction (multi-meaning icons) –
How can AT be used to build communication skills and reinforce content learning for exceptional learners? Here are some examples:
1. Interactive Whiteboard- Helps students who have difficulty with whole language. The interactive whiteboard helps students to see and manipulate visuals. 2. The Intel Reader – is beneficial for students because it provides technology to read printed text aloud and it converts digital texts and reads it aloud to student. 3. Graphic organizers- for students who are struggling with organization or with written expression, graphic organizers will help students organize their thoughts. 4. Draft Builder- is a writing tool that integrates outlining, note taking and draft writing functions to break down the writing process into three steps. It then automates the process of creating the paper, where the student can drag and drop what is written in each note to the rough draft. [[Link: https://techmatrix.org/.[1]]]
References
Bender, W. N. (2002). Differentiating instruction for students with learning disabilities: Best practices for general and special educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Browne, C., (1997-2018). Roles and Responsibilities of Special Education Teachers. Retrieved from: https://woman.thenest.com/roles-responsibilities-special-education-teachers-2795.html.
CAST (2004). Summary of universal design for learning concepts. Retrieved from: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=7.
Cavataio, G., (2016). Corwin Connect: 7 Skills Essential Skills of Special Educators. Retrieved from: http://corwin-connect.com/2016/04/7-essential-skills-special-educators/.
Disability Services (n d). The Government of Western Australia: Department of Communities. Retrieved from: http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/.
Friendship Circle (2019). Retrieved from: https://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2013/03/25/the-benefits-of-co-teaching-for-students-with-special-needs/.
Heineman, M., (2015). Association for Behavioral Analysis International: Positive Behavior Support for Individuals with Behavior Challenges. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048254/.
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Loveless, B., (2019). Education Cornerstone: Strategies for Building a Productive and Positive Learning Environment. Retrieved from: https://www.educationcorner.com/building-a-positive-learning-environment.html.
National Association of Special Education Teachers (2018-20.19). Retrieved from: https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=760.
National Association of Special Education Teachers (2018-2019). A NASET series that looks at each component of the IEP in Depth. Retrieved from: https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=3321.
NSW (2019). The Department of Education: Positive Behavior for Learning. Retrieved from: https://education.nsw.gov.au/student-wellbeing/whole-school-approach/positive-behaviour-for-learning-pbl.
Putnam, J. W. (1998). The process of cooperative learning. In J. W. Putnam (Ed.), Cooperative learning and strategies for inclusion: Celebrating diversity in the classroom (pp. 17-47). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
RTI Action Network (2019). What is Response to Intervention (RTI)? Retrieved from: www.rtinetwork.org/learn/what/whatisrti.
Stanberry, K., (2014-2019). Understood For Learning and Attention Issues. At a Glance Who’s on the IEP Team.Usa. LLC. Retrieved from: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/ieps/at-a-glance-whos-on-the-iep-team.
TechMatix (n.d.), Assistive and Educational Technology Tools and Resources. Retrieved from: https://techmatrix.org/about.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed ability classrooms (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Understood. Org (2014-2019). Common Modifications and Accommodations. Retrieved from: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/common-classroom-accommodations-and-modifications.
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Webster. J., (2017). Testing and Assessment for Special Education: The Variety of Assessments for Different Purposes. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/testing-and-assessment-for-special-education-3110632.
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